


Hisana Monogatari

by TheBramblefish



Category: Bleach
Genre: Do-Over, Grief/Mourning, Hisana kicks ass, Multi, Redemption, Time Travel Fix-It, how to raise your shinigami children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7605121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBramblefish/pseuds/TheBramblefish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She dies full of regret, wishing she'd done it all differently, wishing she'd never been a coward, wishing she'd never abandoned her sister, wishing she could have loved him as he deserved. She dies, expecting nothing, and is instead, given a second chance. This time, she'll live with no regrets. </p><p>A series of interconnected one-shots following Kuchiki Hisana as she lives her life again.</p><p>Hey remember that time my computer crashed and i lost several thousand words of this fic? good times.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Blot Out Our Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this pretty soon after I got into Bleach in around 2008. There's no overarching plot, but rather snapshots of Hisana's life if she had the chance to do all the things she regretted she didn't. I always found her a compelling character, even though we know so little about her. I wondered what she would do, how she'd handle things, how she'd interact with characters, where she'd end up. I kept coming back to it as I aged, adding little bits here and there as they came to me. This also ended up being a sort of time-capsule for my own writing style as it developed and changed over the last eight or so years.

When asked to describe herself, Kuchiki Hisana’s first thought would be ‘broken’. Her heart was broken by the loss of her little sister, abandoned in an alley in the dirtiest district in Rukongai. Her spirit was broken by decades of struggle followed only by the stifling oppression of the Kuchiki household. Her resolve was broken by the deep and unquestioning love in Byakuya-sama’s eyes, and her body was utterly broken by the wasting disease that, even now, she could feel creeping through her veins. She had so many regrets, had made so many mistakes, and looking into Byakuya-sama’s distraught face, her greatest was that she couldn’t love this man- or anyone- like he deserved. After all, how could she give her heart to someone when it was already shattered beyond repair by her own foolish mistakes? So the Lady Hisana said her goodbyes, apologized as best she could to her devoted husband, and let herself sink into the darkness, thinking that if given the chance, she would have done it all differently.

 

* * *

 

 

Hisana woke to the shrill cries of an infant ringing in her ears and the scent of sickness and despair harsh in her nose. She rolled over, taking note of her tattered yukata and thin blanket, only to freeze in shock. There, at her side, was a baby: an infant with dark hair and deep blue eyes so rich in color they were almost purple.

“Rukia?” she whispered, her voice paper-thin, and the child paused mid-sob, turning her gaze to Hisana. A tiny smile broke across the babe’s face, revealing equally tiny white teeth just beginning to poke through dark pink gums. Hisana covered her mouth, a harsh sob breaking from her throat, and her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, my sweet little sister.” Hisana bundled Rukia into her arms, holding tight to her little sister, for the babe could be no one else. Rukia stared deep into Hisana’s eyes and cooed happily. “Rukia… Rukia I’m sorry… I’m so sorry little sister!” Hisana’s body was wracked with deep, ugly cries, her face wet with tears as she cradled her precious baby sister in her arms after so many years.

“My little sister, my dearest Rukia, I’m never leaving you again.” Hisana whispered as she shifted Rukia into the crook of her left arm and reaching up to touch the soft black strands that covered Rukia’s head. It was soft and fluffy, even covered with a light coating of dust as it was. Hisana slowly unwound the swaddling cloth covering Rukia’s tiny body, noting the filth that marked the blanket. Rukia had no other clothing, and her body was unnervingly thin, eyes glassy and stomach distended as extreme malnourishment began to take its toll. Hisana considered her own form, stained with mud and filth and skeletally thin as well. She sighed internally, steeling herself for the struggle ahead of her, and wrapped Rukia back up in the pale grey blanket. Hisana pushed herself upwards, stumbling to her feet and surveyed their surroundings. The hut was clearly abandoned, and the only items within were Hisana’s blanket and an empty sack with only a few meager crumbs dusting the bottom. She gathered the blanket and fashioned the cloth into a harness about her chest, securing Rukia firmly at her breast. Her little sister yawned sleepily and curled inwards, one of her tiny hands coming to rest just above Hisana’s heart, and Hisana was struck with a pang of overwhelming guilt. How could she have let this go? How could she have abandoned this tiny life, so dependent upon her?

She was a fool, all those years ago, a damn fool so focused on her own survival that she’d abandoned her sister to an unknown fate out of sheer cowardice. She’d disgraced herself, hurt Rukia beyond hope of redemption, but here she was, back at the beginning. She wouldn’t abandon her sister again, wouldn’t be a coward, not this time.  

She snatched up the bag with a scowl and marched from the dilapidated shack as firmly as her weak legs would allow, combing her dim memories of this place and time for the location of the nearest stream.

This time, Hisana told herself firmly, she would protect her sister. This time she would be strong, and loving, and give all of herself that she could. This time, Hisana vowed, she would make her sister proud.


	2. An Adventure Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hisana makes a decision, then a promise.

“How in the Spirit King’s name did it come to this?” Hisana grumbled to herself. She rubbed a hand against her forehead, attempting to stave off the persistent headache gnawing at her consciousness. The source of her headache came barreling back into their mud-and-brush hut with a screech of victory, her face alight with joy.

“Big sister! Big sister!” Rukia crowed, and Hisana managed a weak smile for her little sister.

“What is it, little sister?” she asked quietly, splitting her attention between the thin soup coming to a boil over the fire pit in the center of the room and her little sister.

“Big sister I beat Renji to the creek and back!” Rukia cheered, and Hisana smiled sweetly.

“Well done, Rukia. I’m proud of how quick you’ve gotten. Now,” Hisana patted Rukia on the head and straightened out her yukata, a tattered and dull grey thing that hinted at a past life of soft blue embroidered with tiny flowers. “Why don’t you go back outside and get Renji to come back in. You know he’s just as sore a loser as you are, little rascal.” Rukia laughed brightly, her whole face alight with childish joy, and nodded.

“Un! I’m on it big sister!” she promised, crossing her arms in an attempt to look intimidating before retreating out the opening to the hut.

“Thank you, Rukia. And tell him I’ve put some fish into the soup today!” Hisana called after her sister, laughing when Rukia let out a cheer at the promise of fish. As soon as Rukia was gone, Hisana collapsed onto the lone futon of the hut, a sigh of exhaustion breaking past her lips.

“Blessed gods, give me the strength to handle two rambunctious children with stomachs larger than the Dangai.” She prayed softly. She loved Rukia and Renji like they were her own children, but their growing spiritual pressure and subsequent need for more food was straining their already thin resources even more. There was only so much she could do in the outer edges of Inuzuri, but venturing into the district proper had its own set of risks. Out here, Renji and Rukia faced starvation and illness. If she took them to Inuzuri, they’d be forced to confront the cruelty of other beings, not just the harsh indifference of nature.

And yet, Hisana was rapidly running out of options; the tiny fish they caught from the river are more bone than anything else, the few edible plants offering little to supplement them. Renji and Rukia needed real meals more frequently than once every few days. They needed shoes, clothing that would fit their growing bodies, they needed to learn how to read and count. Hisana couldn’t give them everything they need and shelter them from the cruel reality of their existence at the same time, and it broke her heart to know that it order to keep them alive and healthy, she’d have to expose them to a world that would sooner let a child die than save one. Hisana knew that well- she’d once been part of it.

But still, beneath her hesitance, beneath the fear that grips her throat, was the belief that her children could become so much more than their origins. She could feel their growing spiritual pressure, was familiar with what a shinigami felt like after her marriage all those years ago. They could be amazing, and Hisana had learned after all her years, after all her mistakes, that if she wanted to see them flourish, she would first have to take risks. Her only task would be to ensure that they survived and thrived in the merciless world they would soon enter.

 

* * *

 

She sat them down by the fire the night after their race, taking in their gaunt faces and wide eyes. She remembered seeing children inside the Seireitei once- they were plump and soft and gentle little things with wide smiles and rosy cheeks, wrapped in soft robes and escorted by their mothers or ladies maids. Her children looked nothing like that in the firelight, their cheekbones thrown into sharp relief by the flickering light, their tiny bones showing so close under the skin, fragile and delicate as the wings of a bird.

“We’re going on an adventure soon.” She told them, her voice low and serious.

“An adventure?” Renji asked, his little brows furrowing.

“Yes.” Hisana replied, reaching out and taking their hands in hers. “You’re both growing so fast, and that means that you have spiritual pressure. You’re both strong enough to become shinigami; you have the potential to become strong and capable warriors. I’m so proud of both of you, of how much you’ve grown, and I love you very dearly.” She told them softly, recalling the way Rukia had gone from a tiny, toothless baby gumming at Hisana’s fingers to a tumbling, inquisitive child, the way Renji had crashed into their life with all the grace and subtlety of a kido spell gone awry and had struck such a chord in Hisana’s heart that she hadn’t been able to let him go.

“We love you too, big sister!” Rukia said solemnly, her dark blue eyes fierce. Beside her, Renji nodded fervently, squeezing Hisana’s hand in his. Hisana smiled warmly at them, basking in their love, before sombering once more.   
“I’m saying this because the adventure we’re going on is dangerous. Out here we’re protected from people who would seek to harm us, but there isn’t enough food, and you two need more than we can ever have out in this wilderness. Tomorrow, we’ll start the journey to Inuzuri. It’s a town, with many other people, and not all of them will be kind.” She said, and Renji nodded.

“I went through there back- before. Before I found you. They were bad people. I didn’t like them.” He said softly, his voice shaking quietly.

“I know, I know dearest.” Hisana replied sadly, her heart aching at the thought of Renji suffering at the hands of the hardened citizens of Inuzuri. “But I’m going to protect you. And you will protect each other. I want you to promise me that, both of you. No matter what, you will never leave each other alone. Even if you’re angry or hurt, even if you’re fighting and can’t stand the sight of each other, swear to me now that you will always look after one another.” She placed their hands together, covering their tiny palms with her own, and gave them a tight squeeze. Rukia gazed at her before turning to Renji, who was staring at their tangled fingers.

“I promise it. Renji is my brother, and even if he steals all the best fish and beats me in races forever I’ll protect him.” Rukia said resolutely, her tiny spring of spiritual pressure coming to bear as she made the oath. Renji stared at her, his eyes bright and watery, before throwing himself into her arms.

“Rukia is my sister, and so are you Hisana! I’ll never abandon you, never in a thousand thousand years! We’re family forever!” He howled, and Rukia sniffled into his shoulder as her fingers clenched his thin yukata.

“You are both the most amazing little children I could ever ask for. You are my little ones forever and always.” Hisana replied softly, enfolding them both in a warm embrace. They stayed like that for a long while, Renji and Rukia weeping softly into her arms and promising never to abandon each other in increasingly outlandish situations until their moods finally lifted. Once they’d returned to the bubbly, energetic children Hisana knew, she let them go and wiped their tears dry with the sleeve of her robe.

“Now, I also have a few rules you must promise to follow as long as we are on our adventure.” She said, and her little children nodded eagerly.

“First, if anyone threatens you, you must hold hands tightly and run away as fast as you can. Don’t let each other go, and don’t stop until you feel safe. Do you promise?” She asked, and Renji and Rukia both nodded.

“We promise.” Renji said firmly.

“Good. Next, you must never try to steal from anyone bigger and stronger than you, and _never_ from anyone with a visible weapon. Stealing can be the difference between eating and going hungry, but stealing from the wrong person can be the difference between life and death. Do you promise?”

This time, it was Rukia who nodded and spoke the words.

“Finally, if we are in danger you must do exactly as I say. If I tell you to run away, you must run. If I tell you to hide, you must hide until I say you can come out. If I tell you to leave me behind, you _must_ leave me behind. I will always find you after, no matter how long I have to look. Do you promise?”

“We promise.” They spoke in unison, and Hisana heaved an internal sigh of relief. She had initially feared that they would try to disobey her requests, but if she could impress upon them the seriousness of the situation, their chances would be so much better.

“And now, I will make three promises to you.” She said, and offered her hands to Renji and Rukia once more. They took her dry and cracked palms in theirs, and she knelt before them, lowering her head like a supplicant before a king.

“I promise that I will always love you and support you. I promise that I will do everything I can to keep you safe and happy and healthy. And I promise above all, that I will never forsake you. If we are separated I will search every inch of this world and the next, I will tear down the walls of the Seireitei, I will hunt for one hundred years and more; no matter what comes of this life, no matter what obstacles we face, I will never, ever abandon you.”


	3. An Unexpected Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Honorable Lord and Lady of the Kuchiki Clan are politely asked by the Shinigami Academy for funds, and receive something worth far more than any sum of money could ever buy in return.

“Lady Kuchiki, the Lord Kuchiki has requested your presence.” Hisana’s personal maid, Akiko, bowed demurely in her direction her from the entrance to the private shrine. Hisana offered one last prayer for the dead before she rose from her crouch in front of Renji and Rukia’s memorial stone and made her way through the house, her robes trailing softly behind her in a quiet whisper of windflower silk and cotton. She entered Byakuya’s study quietly, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder.

“What is it, my husband?” She asked. Byakuya sighed and held up a scroll. Hisana read the missive contained therein, and frowned.

“An official survey of the Shinigami Academy? Why are they requesting this of you in your capacity as Clan Head, instead of as the captain of the sixth division?” She wondered aloud. Byakuya sighed quietly and accepted the scroll from Hisana. He rose to his feet and kissed her chastely, smiling against her lips when she grasped his arms tightly.

“I believe they wish for the clan to provide more funding.” Byakuya muttered once the kiss ended. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent.

“Well then, my lord husband, what would an official survey of the Shinigami Academy be without the presence of the Lady of the House? After all, it is a good woman’s duty to involve herself in the education of the children and future protectors of Seireitei, is it not?” Byakuya sighed quietly.

“You are ever the dutiful wife, my lady Hisana.” He whispered into her ear, smiling when she giggled sweetly.

“And you, my lord Byakuya, are a dutiful husband.” She nestled her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. If her etiquette tutors could see her now, after their months of harping on everything from her “abominable” posture to her “slovenly” eating habits and “boorish” lack of propriety around her lord and husband. However, she couldn’t be bothered to care, not when Byakuya returned the hug with equal intensity before tilting her head up towards his and kissing her deeply. Her life was not what she hoped it would be, and the grief and pain of her loss was forever embedded in her soul, but when Byakuya held her close and whispered words of love and support, the aching emptiness of a life without her children didn’t seem quite so all-encompassing.

* * *

Hisana felt a pang of sadness as she and Byakuya were paraded through the halls of the Shinigami Academy, surrounded by clan aides and a few seated officers from Byakuya’s division.  So far they had suffered through the utterly dull tour of the facilities and been introduced to an endless stream of instructors and administrators. Now they were being guided down a long hall, past rows upon rows of students in red and blue robes.

Once, Hisana had harbored the hope that her own sweet children would one day walk the halls of the academy as she did, that one day they too would don those robes. Once, she had looked to a future far brighter than any she had seen today, because they had been her little ones, her shining lights. Byakuya, ever attentive, reached out a hand and took her arm in his own, the very image of a formal Lord escorting his delicate wife. His hand was warm beneath hers, and he squeezed her palm gently. After so many years as a noble lady, Hisana’s hands had become soft and graceful, so unlike the rough and calloused palms that had once held two tiny children close. Her husband was a balm to her grief, but the sadness still haunted her, even after so many years.

Hisana breathed deeply and let her grief fall back behind the facade of a noble gentlewoman, let her eyes slide past the kneeling students, let her mind wander behind a serene face, until a shock of familiar bright red caught her eye. It was the richest amber, like garnets and fresh blood, so unlike the red of the uniforms that lined the hall. It was gathered back into a short tail, and clashed rather awfully with the blue of the young man’s uniform. Hisana felt her knees go weak as the man- boy, really- glanced up, his brown eyes catching and holding her gaze from beneath his brow. She had only seen such warm, fierce eyes in one face, had only ever known one being to betray such a roaring furnace of determination with a single gaze, and he had died decades ago, only to haunt her now. His name slipped past her lips unbidden, despite the fact that she knew him to be dead.

 

“…Renji-kun?” She whispered, her voice catching in her throat. The student lifted his head fully, and though he was older, and taller, Hisana could see her young charge in his face.

“Hisana-nee?” the young man rasped, and Hisana wavered, feeling suddenly light, and felt the world tilt as she heard her child call her name for the first time in almost thirty years. Byakuya was immediately at her side, his presence steadying her as surely as his arm around her waist.

“Lady wife, perhaps we should adjourn to a private room?” He suggested, and Renji- it could only be Renji- blanched at the sight of the noble captain. Hisana nodded weakly and let Byakuya guide her into the nearest empty classroom, Renji following anxiously behind. Once she was seated, Renji collapsed to his knees in front of her.

“Hisana-nee, is that… how did…?” Hisana sobbed quietly and pulled Renji into her arms, uncaring of the many onlookers.

“Oh Renji, oh my sweet child, I thought you were dead! They told me you died in the fire!” Renji slowly wound his arms around her, his palms so much larger than the last time he had hugged her.

“We got lost, Rukia and I… we thought you were dead too.” He said hoarsely, and Hisana paled, slumping back into her seat.

“My sister? My little Rukia?” she whispered brokenly, and Renji nodded.

“She’s here too.” He said, and Byakuya was suddenly across the room, speaking lowly with one of the instructors. The aging man fled the room, shouting urgently down the hall of assembled students, and returned a scant few moments later with a tiny young woman in tow. The girl was scowling fiercely, but when she saw Renji kneeling at Hisana’s side, his hands clasped tightly in hers, she gasped and struggled out of the instructor’s grasp.

“Big sister! Big sister!” She sobbed as she stumbled across the room. Hisana was openly crying now, and her tears only flowed faster when Rukia collapsed into her lap, heedless of Hisana’s extravagant formal robes. Hisana pulled Renji into her arms as well, holding her children close for the first time in decades.

“My children. My dear, brave children. I am so sorry. I’m so sorry I failed you.” She whispered to both of them.

“You didn’t fail us, sister. You could never fail us.” Rukia whispered. “You raised us, provided for us, fought to keep us safe, even during the fire.” Renji nodded in agreement.

Hisana could find no words, so she simply sat, holding her children, thanking the gods that they were with her once more, that she had once again been given such a wonderful chance.

“Didn’t I tell you, my little ones? No matter how long it takes, I will never, ever abandon you. I am so, so sorry I lost you these years, but now that we are together again, I will never let you go. I will protect you all my life. I will love you, forever and always.” Hisana whispered, tears staining her cheeks and dripping onto Rukia’s uniform. Renji’s arms wrapped around them both, so much bigger than the scrawny, coltish limbs Hisana remembered. His cheek was pressed against her shoulder, the cloth damp with tears. He squeezed them both tighter and replied in a deep voice, the voice of a grown man.

“We kept our promises too. We never left each other alone, we never let go.” He said in a hoarse and rasping voice, and Rukia sobbed out a laugh.

“Liar,” she muttered into Hisana’s robes. “We stole water from a man with a scythe and got chased all the way out of town for it.” She said, and Hisana couldn’t help but laugh.

“My foolish little ones, always getting into trouble. You were always too brave for your own good, rascals.”

After a long embrace and many a whispered assurance, they finally separated. Renji awkwardly brushed at the tear-stain he’d left on Hisana’s robes, but Hisana only brushed his concern off with a laugh before focusing on straightening their uniforms and fixing their mussed hair and drying their reddened cheeks. She sat back and drank them in, reveling in their full cheeks and bright eyes, in their strong muscles and healthy limbs. They looked well fed and healthy, and happy. She smiled at them, and was delighted by the smiles she received in return, so different from those before, all gaunt faces and missing teeth.

“Where did you go?” Rukia asked softly, and Hisana sighed heavily, the smile dropping from her face.

“I was heartbroken, I couldn’t bear to stay there. You know I was working at a tea-shop in the lower districts? I met Byakuya-sama there a few months before the fire, and after the dust settled and I realized there was nothing left of our home, he offered me a home with him. We were wed a few years later, and he has given me much joy and comfort.” Hisana replied, smiling fondly at her beloved husband. Rukia’s eyes hardened as she turned to face the somber man in black who stood a short distance from Hisana’s side. She turned to face Hisana’s husband and sized him up with a glare that seemed to find him utterly lacking.

“You married big sister?” She asked shortly, and Renji rose up behind her, a towering pillar of intimidation that failed utterly against Byakuya.

“Yes. I am Kuchiki Byakuya.” He bowed his head towards them in a slight nod of greeting. “You are Abarai Renji and Rukia?” He asked, and the two students nodded.

“And you take care of her? You make her happy? Give her all the hot tea she wants?” Rukia was utterly unfazed by Byakuya, or if she was, she was doing an excellent job of hiding it.

“I am her husband; I provide everything Hisana might need. I can assure you I will never forsake her.” Byakuya solemnly promised, and Rukia and Renji both seemed satisfied.

“Then we approve. If you can make big sister happy then you’re what’s best for her, even if we don’t think anyone will ever really deserve her.” Rukia sniffed haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding.

“I appreciate your approval.” Byakuya glanced up at Hisana, who had covered her mouth with a hand in utter mortification at her charge’s behavior. “If you will, students, allow me to speak with my wife in private.” It was not a suggestion, and both shinigami in training knew it. They both hugged Hisana fiercely, promising to stand outside and wait for her before scurrying from the room.

“Hisana, are you well?” He asked once they were alone in the room.

“Byakuya… they’re alive. I thought I’d lost them. I thought I’d never see them again.” She whispered, and he gathered her into his arms.

“What do you wish to do, my love?” He asked her, and she stiffened.

“Byakuya…” she paused, and leaned back to look into his eyes. “You swore to be my strength, and I vowed the same for you. I beg of you, my husband, please, extend the love and kindness you have given me unto the children of my heart. Now that I know they live, I cannot leave them again.” She begged him. Byakuya stepped back and took her hands in his, facing her with the same calm determination he had on their wedding day.

“Hisana,” Byakuya said, fondness coloring his voice. “I could never deny you anything, especially not this. In our years together, I have seen your devotion to their memory. Now, seeing you like this, so strong and unyielding in your devotion, I feel nothing but pride. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, Hisana, in both body and soul.” Hisana collapsed against her husband in relief.

“I love you so much, Byakuya-sama, so much I can hardly bear it.” She whispered, her hands clenched tight against his haori.

“And I love you, Hisana.” He whispered in reply. “I will speak to the clan elders; Rukia will undoubtedly be fully adopted into the clan as she is your sister by blood. Abarai-san may wish to keep his family name, but he can be made a ward of the clan if he so wishes.” Hisana smiled joyously at him.

“Thank you, my lord husband. Thank you so much.” Her voice wavered, tears still gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“My beloved, I would never keep you from the children of your heart. Their belongings will be moved to the manor by the end of the day, and they will be official members of the clan before the week is out, should they wish it.” He promised her. She nodded eagerly, unable to contain the swirling maelstrom of emotions that had overcome her, and burst into to tears once again. Byakuya held her close, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as she sobbed into his chest. When her tears finally dried, he pulled away from her and pressed a gentle kiss to each eyelid, his lips cool against her reddened eyes.

“I am so blessed, so incredibly lucky, Byakuya. I have been given so many second chances, I have you, and now I have my children back.” Hisana whispered softly, and Byakuya hummed his agreement.

“Indeed, after having heard them speak, there can be no doubt that you raised them.” He said blandly, and Hisana tilted her head in confusion.

“The girl, Rukia, spoke to me exactly as you spoke to my honorable grandmother.” He said, and Hisana couldn’t bite back the giggle that escaped her, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, fingers holding her robes just so, looking every inch the proper wife.   
“I have only ever addressed the dowager Kuchiki with utmost respect.” She said in a soft and airy falsetto, and her husband flashed her a small, knowing smile.

“Then it must have been the conviction with which she spoke. Only you, my dear one, could have raised two such… determined… children.” He demurred.

“Of course.” Hisana replied, her heart swelling with joy. “My children, Byakuya. They are my children once more.”

* * *

 

“Renji, Rukia,” Hisana beckoned them back into the room, and nodded at Byakuya as he exited to speak to the faculty.

“Byakuya-sama and I have spoken, and he has promised that we will not be separated again. If you are willing,” she paused and gathered her strength. “Byakuya-sama has vowed to adopt you into the clan. Rukia, you will be given the Kuchiki name, as I have, and will technically be considered heir to the clan until Byakuya-sama and I conceive. Renji-kun, if you wish, you may keep Abarai as your family name, but you will also be made a ward of the clan. We would be honored, both of us, if you would live with us. I… I could not bear it if I lost you again.” Hisana admitted. She looked up to see both Renji and Rukia staring at her in shock.

“The Kuchiki clan wants to adopt… us?” Renji finally choked out, gesturing at his own tattooed form and Rukia’s tiny, yet mighty, body, and Hisana chuckled quietly.

“Renji-kun, I was devastated when I thought you had died. Byakuya-sama took me into his care after the fire. He helped me find the peace I needed in the wake of your loss, and my failure. He joined me in praying for you almost every day, he wanted to know everything about you, and telling him about our years together helped to soothe my soul. I believe that after the stories I shared with him, he might love you almost as much as I do.” She assured them. “Byakuya-sama can appear calm and detached, like a true noble of Seireitei, but he still feels as deeply as you or I. He would not dream of keeping you out of our lives, now that we know you still live. He will do everything in his power to keep you safe and happy.” She promised, and Renji slumped down, clearly contemplating her offer.

“Renji-kun, you needn’t do anything out of a sense of obligation. Just know that our home is open to you both, and that we would be overjoyed if you chose to join our family. Regardless of your decision, we will support you in everything you do. I will always love both of you- always.” Hisana placed a hand on both of their shoulders.

“Now, let me look at you, little rascals. The last time I saw you you were all over filthy with mud and trying to blame each other for the mess!” She said, and both her children blushed with embarrassment at that, eyes darting to the floor. She stepped back and took them in fully, noting how much they had grown, how their spiritual pressure had deepened in the years they’d been parted.

Rukia was still small, and looked almost identical to the visage Hisana saw in the mirror each day, save for the fierce glint in her eyes. The impish glimmer of childhood had become a determined spark; clearly her little sister had lost none of her quick-tempered nature. Renji had, true to Hisana’s predictions, shot up like a weed. The constant nourishment, both physical and mental, of the shinigami academy had clearly done him well. They both carried themselves with the hardened grace of Rukongai survivors, yet it had clearly been tempered by their training. Both of them stood tall, shoulders back and heads held high, and Hisana had never felt such overwhelming pride. This was the dream she had nurtured for years, her little ones fulfilling their potential and growing into the amazing shinigami she knew they could be.

* * *

  
“Have they made their decision?” Byakuya asked when Hisana exited the classroom, her composed demeanor fully recovered.

“I gave them a bit of privacy to consider their options, but I believe they will agree. Family has always meant a great deal us; I do not think they will not turn down the chance to rejoin me- to rejoin us. I truly believe we can give them the love they deserve.” Hisana said earnestly, and Byakuya allowed a small and tender smile to slip across his face.

“You are truly a great woman, beloved wife.” He brushed a tender hand across her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, basking in the quiet moment they shared.

“Big sister?”  Rukia peeked out from behind the door, Renji shuffling from foot to foot behind her.

“Yes, little sister?” Hisana replied, turning to face her sister. She smiled when Byakuya’s hand migrated to her shoulder, a clear indicator of his support of her, and their unity as a married couple.

“We,” Rukia paused and inhaled deeply. “We would like to join the Kuchiki clan.” She smiled tentatively up at the clan head and her sister. “We’re not really nobility material, but you’re our family, and Captain Kuchiki has clearly been good for you; we’ll stay with you as long as we live, big sister.” Rukia vowed.

“Yeah, you were always there for us, Hisana-nee, even when we screwed up real bad,” Renji rubbed the back of his neck, revealing the beginnings of jagged black marks that traveled up his arm to match the tattoos that peeked from just beneath the neckline of his uniform. “I mean, I’m clearly never gonna be a noble, and I’ve got wicked tattoos now, but if they’ll have me then yeah.” He mumbled, and Hisana couldn’t contain her joyous smile.

“Of course we will have you both. Welcome to the family!” She blinked back tears of joy, and pulled both shinigami in training into a hug. When they separated, Byakuya stepped forward to address them.

“Your belongings are being packed and moved as we speak. Tomorrow evening you will meet with the clan elders; I apologize, but such a meeting is unavoidable.” His face was blank, but his eyes shimmered with a quiet sort of mischief. “I find that suffering through them as soon as possible is preferable to living under the specter of their disapproval.” He muttered sotto voce, and Hisana smiled into her haori.

“Truly, husband, they are quite intimidating when they wish to be.” She added, her voice betraying her mirth. “They will inspect your every action, and no doubt find it lacking, as they did with me, but their opinion is inconsequential in truth. Your instructors have excused you from your classes for the remainder of the day. You will join us at the manor and we will discuss your rooms, etiquette lessons- an unfortunate necessity- as well as any supplemental training you may wish for.” Renji and Rukia looked slightly overwhelmed, but Hisana forged ahead.

“Come on you two, we’ve quite a bit of talking to do; I want to know everything that happened from the fire until now, and Byakuya-sama wishes to know you better as well.” Hisana took Renji’s hand in her left and Rukia’s in her right, and with her husband clearing the path just a step ahead of them, Hisana stepped into her new future.  

  


 


	4. An Adventure Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji and Rukia discuss the merits of a Rukongai Princess, Hisana finds a new home, a job, and then her husband. Follows "An Adventure Begins" chronologically.

In the sparsely forested area surrounding the district they were safe from most of the other residents in their ramshackle hut, but Hisana had known it couldn’t last forever. She’d known she’d have to risk Inuzuri, maybe even go further in, to get a paying job that didn’t put her at risk. She hoped to make it to the fiftieth or below, to the districts where teahouses were more common than gambling dens, and people were more likely to greet you politely than leave you bleeding in an alleyway. It would be a risk, a massive risk, but Hisana would risk much to put food in Rukia and Renji’s bellies.   


She wondered if her little sister knew the redheaded hellion in her life before, if she lived long enough to make such a stalwart friend. She liked to imagine so, liked to dream of them surviving together, tiny, clever heads bent over some plan drawn in the dirt as they dreamt up their next adventure. It was a pleasant thought, and it brought Hisana immense joy to see such a daydream play out in her life now, Rukia alight with mischief and joy, Renji right beside her, a loyal partner in crime.

“So this adventure we’re going on; are we gonna defeat hollows and rescue a princess?” Renji asked as Hisana packed their scant few belongings.

“Don’t be stupid Renji, there’s no princesses in the Rukongai.” Rukia scoffed, her arms crossed as she gazed down on Renji as though he’d missed the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well there could be.” He replied petulantly, his tiny mouth twisting into a scowl.

“Nu-uh, all the princesses live inside the walls, everybody knows that, stupid face.” She countered, her childish logic bringing a tiny smile to Hisana’s lips. She covered her mouth, hiding the grin as Renji and Rukia fell into an argument over the merits and possibilities of a Rukongai princess, only separating them when Rukia tackled Renji to the ground and started gnawing on his flailing hands.

“Children, children,” she said, pulling them apart and brushing them both off. “Regardless of whether a princess could be found, we are not going to be saving her on this adventure, my little wild children.” She said fondly, straightening Renji’s yukata as she smoothed a hand over Rukia’s hair. “We will be going on an adventure to the fiftieth district.” At this, Renji and Rukia both stilled. She’d raised them well, instilling in them both a prudent wariness of the outer Rukongai.

“It’s time for us to move, and you’re both grown so strong and brave, and I know you can keep the promises you’ve made to me to stay safe and be clever.” She said gently, and Rukia glanced at the empty cooking pot.

“It’s because of us, isn’t it?” She said softly, and Hisana’s hand stilled in her hair. “It’s because we’re hungry all the time, and you can’t get food out here, isn’t it? It’s our fault.” Rukia said, and to Hisana’s horror, tears began to well in her eyes.

“We’re sorry, big sister, we can eat less!” She wailed, and threw herself into Hisana’s arms. Renji joined her a moment later, and Hisana was left with a lapful of sobbing children and little enough to console them with.

“No, no children, it’s not your fault, never your fault.” She said softly, rubbing their tiny backs and suppressing a wince at how she could feel each bone in their spines. “I have never once regretted raising you children. You are my little lights, the joy in my life, and it brings me such pride to see you grow so strong in spirit. You both have such potential, and I will not see it go to waste for fear of confrontation.

“It will be dangerous, our journey. I will not lie and tell you it is without risk,” Hisana said solemnly, “but I will gladly risk every step to bring you the life you deserve. In the lower districts I can find a good job, a paying job, and more food for both of you. We could have a real home- clothes, beds, even shoes. I want nothing but the very best for you, my little rascals, and I will do all in my power to give it to you.” She finished, pressing a kiss to Rukia’s forehead, then Renji’s. When she leaned back, both children looked up at her with tear streaked faces. Renji’s lower lip was trembling as he valiantly attempted to hold back a sob, and Rukia’s eyes had a worshipful, devoted gleam in them.

“We love you too, Hisana.” She said, her little voice so full of determination, and Hisana’s heart ached for her little sister, so brave and strong and full of life. Renji was nodding furiously beside her, his fingers clinging to Hisana’s sleeve.

“Yeah, we’ll protect you. You’ll be the princess, an’ we’ll save you from all the hollows, or anybody else who tries to hurt you!” He declared, and Rukia nodded in agreement.

“You’re better than any stuffy old Seireitei princess anyway.” She scoffed, and Hisana couldn’t hide the giggle that slipped from her lips, pulling both children into a tight embrace.

“Oh my little warriors, where would I be without you?” Hisana asked as she held them close. She knew the answer, and such a life, devoid of the joys of her family, hadn’t been worth living in the end.

* * *

 

Rukia and Renji were finally starting to grow when Hisana’s future turned past found her.  

They lived in the fifty-second district now- not wonderful, but certainly far better than where they were before, and Hisana had found work in a tea house as she’d hoped. It was hard, and the long hours on her feet were exhausting, the constant rushing back and forth taxing on her lungs, but the money she brought in earned them a little room to rent, with blankets for the children, and food on the table, and real shoes for her little warriors. They were simple geta, but Rukia gloried in putting them on every morning before she and Renji helped Hisana prepare breakfast. 

The constant food had done wonders for her children; they could afford a meal every single day, even if most of the time it was nothing more than plain rice. Renji and Rukia spent most of their time foraging while Hisana was at work; they knew better than to steal in the lower districts, but there was nothing stopping them from finding wild vegetables or scavenging fish bones from the rubbish for Hisana to boil into stock. It was meager fare, but consistent, and her children were growing both physically and spiritually. There was a lightness about them that could only come from having a safe and dry place to sleep and constant meals; their hair became thicker and healthier, their eyes brighter, their spiritual presence deeper. It warmed Hisana’s heart, and made the long hours she worked feel like effortless minutes.

The clientele at the tea house where Hisana worked were mostly powerless souls who longed for tea and food not because they needed it, but because they missed the memory of it, and would gladly pay what little they had for a meager cup of tea and perhaps a bit of rice or fish or dango. Hisana was glad of the quiet peace that held in the shop, the sense of nostalgia that so many of the guests lost themselves to between sips blanketing the tiny room with an almost reverent silence. 

Then, of course, came the Shiba. 

Hisana had met Shiba Kuukaku in her past life, but only in passing at an official function that not even the ever-casual Shiba clan could escape. Still, a woman as loud and energetic as the rising clan head was hard to forget, especially when accompanied by her shinigami brother, whose spiritual energy was bright and near-overwhelming, even when tightly leashed. Hisana served them quietly, smiling politely when Kuukaku complimented the tea and serving them a plate of dango free of charge at the owner’s behest. Fifty-two was far enough out that shinigami were rare indeed, but not so far that the heir of a noble clan and her lieutenant brother went unrecognized. 

“Does my lady Shiba require any further assistance?” Hisana asked quietly as she poured the woman a second cup, and the young heiress snorted. 

“None of that ‘my lady Shiba’ crap, I came out here to get away from that shit.” Kuukaku scoffed, as short-tempered and sharp-tongued as Hisana recalled. 

“Of course, my lady.” she said, not quite managing to hide her smile. Kuukaku scowled up at her before pausing, blinking once, then chuckling easily. 

“Well aren’t you something else, lady.” she said easily, running a lazy finger along the rim of her cup. 

“I am happy to serve my lady Shiba in such a capacity.” Hisana replied primly, bowing lightly in Kuukaku’s direction. 

“Sure you are. Maybe I’ll have to come back here again someday, especially if all the help is as funny as you. What’s your name?” Kuukaku asked. 

“Hisana, my lady.” Hisana answered, bowing again, and Kuukaku hummed softly. 

“Well, Hisana, I can guarantee you’re better company than half the stuffy ass lords and ladies of the Seireitei. At least you know how to make a joke.” she scoffed. “I bet Yoruichi would get a kick out of you.” she added, and Hisana merely bowed respectfully before scurrying back into the kitchen and leaning against the counter with a heavy sigh. 

Yoruichi would in fact find Hisana interesting- interesting enough to drag along her latest success, the newest lieutenant of the court guard and heir to the Kuchiki clan. In just a few weeks, if all went as it had before, Hisana would see her husband once more, and she honestly wasn’t sure how to feel. 

* * *

As Hisana expected, Kuukaku did tell Shihoin Yoruichi of the little tea house in the upper districts, and the Shihoin clan head did bring along her protege. The owner left them to Hisana to serve with a weak grimace and wobbling knees in the face of their spiritual pressure, and so, for the first time, and the first time in decades, Hisana served tea to her husband. She placed the service silently, pouring first for the Shihoin noblewoman, then for her beloved, managing a smile as she did. 

“So you’re the one Kuukaku likes?” Yoruichi asked, and Hisana bowed deeply. 

“I am honored that my Lady Shiba finds me, in her own words, ‘less irritating than most.’” she said, and Yoruichi laughed uproariously, tossing her head back with her usual disregard for noble decorum. 

“High praise indeed, from Kuukaku!” she said, wiping at one eye with a delicate, deadly hand. 

“Truly, this humble soul is deeply honored by the Lady’s regard.” Hisana says with a wry smile. When she glances over at Byakuya, her husband is staring at her, his grey eyes sharp and considering. 

“This is my little protege, Byakuya of the Kuchiki clan. Isn’t he just the cutest?” Yoruichi seemed to purr as she gestured at Byakuya, whose face would have betrayed nothing if not for the slight flush to his cheeks. 

“Indeed, I can find no fault with my humble eyes.” Hisana demurred, glancing once more at her husband. Byakuya said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes, interest glimmering as he met her gaze. They finished their tea slowly, Hisana occasionally replacing their pot and providing a few more small plates, and when they left, Yoruichi slipped her enough money to keep Renji and Rukia fed for months with a sly wink. 

“I think you’ve got yourself an admirer, Miss Hisana of the Fifty-Second.” she said quietly, and Hisana glanced away, trying to mask her blush. “And it seems the sentiment is returned!” Yoruichi said slyly, a grin curling at her lips. 

“He is a noble lord, and I am but a servant.” Hisana replied despite the way her heart beat wildly in her chest at the sight of her beloved. 

“You know, Miss Hisana,” Yoruichi said conversationally, “In all the years I’ve known Byakuya-bo, I’ve never once seen him let anything get in the way of something he truly desires. If he truly desires you, it won’t matter in the least where you’re from, or what your station is. Give him a chance, Miss Hisana; he might just surprise you.” 

They left in a rustle of sumptuous black fabric and tingling spiritual pressure, and Hisana found herself leaning towards their departing backs, longing for the warmth of her dearest husband’s spirit and regard once more. 

When he returned just a few days later, alone and in far less eye-catching dress, Hisana served him tea with a smile, basking in the way his eyes followed her and his soul reached for hers. When he departed, there was a lacquered pin with a single cherry blossom on a soft blue cloth at his seat. The next time he visited, it was late in the day, and the setting sun shined softly on the pin as it held her hair in place. She set aside her apron and joined him beneath a willow tree by the river surrounding the district, and slowly, softly, her husband came to know her once again. 


End file.
